A Day in the Life of a Gladiator
by Alice Prince
Summary: Basically, this is a journal, with entries from Valens, Ludo, Usus and more. It follows Munio's School on their journey to the High Tournaments. Please read and review.


NOTE: So, here we are, my second Gladius story. The idea was due to a review on my other one: Queen of the Valkyrie (which I am considering rewriting). "Hopefully you'll continue writing more fics in the future. Maybe ones from other recruitable gladiator's points of view (like if you had any favorites in the game). Well, good luck. And again, good job!" And here I've been, with the knowledge buried in the back of my head for the past few months. And last week, I decided to follow up on that. I talked to my sister, and she said that she thought it would be a cool idea, and from there, this story was brought to life. It is written as if all the characters wrote their thoughts in a journal. Hope you enjoy!

Day One– Valens

So… the day has finally arrived: the day I finally get to lead my own school! With Ludo by my side, of course; and with Usus to guide us, we can't lose!

We're going to recruit more people, and we'll be great! A few Centurions, a few Peltasts, and warriors from other lands too: archers from the Steppes, barbarians from Nordagh and Dervishes from the Expanse!

Day One– Ludo

Valens seems so enthusiastic about this… about recruiting _foreigners…_foreigners who aren't worthy of the glory of Munio's School! No school can even hope to dream of being better than our school!

I wish he'd drop all the nonsense about getting foreigners into the greatest school in all of Imperia. No one from any of the lands can match _my_ strength either.

Day One– Lampolo

So, I sat in the recruitment office. Again. Time after time, schools only bought my contract on a temporary basis.

Then, low and behold, in came Ludo and Valens to the office.

Both had the look of skilled, if somewhat new, medium class warriors. I sensed something special about Valens.

His hair was jet black and he wore an amulet. It had a crack, or rather, a piece missing on the left of the chain.

Ludo called out, "Are there any Centurions in the office?" and I, among three others, raised our hands; but the others, upon seeing Valens and Ludo walked out, so I was the only one left. Naturally, that's how I came to be in Munio's School…

Day Three– Katre

I may not be the best Peltast in Imperia, (I mean, I have rivals and idols too) but I do have some standards!

So when these two young men came into the recruiting office of Pirgos, they searched for a Centurion, not a Peltast. They got a male Centurion by the name of Lampolo and left.

A few hours later, they returned, now looking for a Peltast. As I was the only one there, they approached me.

"Are you looking for permanent employment? We are in need of a skilled Peltast," asked the young man with black hair, Valens. I told him that yes, I was, but I asked him if his school had won a few battles here. They told me no, they had focused on beating Belfort first. I said that they needed to win a few more before I'd join them and that I'd be back in the afternoon after lunch.

I wonder if they'll do it.

Day Four– Ludo

Yesterday, this arrogant Peltast told us, the great Munio's School, to beat a few more battles before she'd join us.

Valens, being the obedient person he is, said that we'd do it. So we went and beat the league Pirgos Comminus.

Afterwards, we went back and she gladly joined us.

Day Four – Lampolo

This school is holding me back! I can't handle the incompetence of Ludo and Valens, the so-called leaders of the would be Imperial champions.

Day Five – Lampolo

I just decided to quit. I found another school, one with the will to be champions. With Muutus as my new leader, I will bring them down! It seems like they were going to kick me out anyway.

Day Thirteen – Valens

We've been busy! We've beaten the Pirgos tournament, along with the Belfort, Trikata and Cro Beska tournaments, and all the leagues in between, plus some extra battles for training. My school has vast potential.

Membership has been rocky as well…

Bertha, one of our Centurions, decided we were scum and left. She said something about Ludo, actually.

Furdain, our Legionnaire, decided to follow Bertha. I always did think that there was something going on between them…

On the bright side, a samnite by the name of Donata joined us. I think she'll get along well with the others. She got us out of a few tight spots.

We also got a channeler. I think that Mailie will be a useful ally in the coming regions.

Oh, Georgius! He's funny! He told a joke about a barbarian, an archer and a dervish that go into a pub…a little rude, but then again, what isn't?

I've been getting stronger! Know how a medium class warrior supposedly can't beat a heavy class? In the Survive Trikata league, Acamas said that only one of us could enter and that it had to be a medium class warrior.

So I entered. Four battles in a row, without refreshment. A fine challenge! The first round was a couple of bandits from Femina Formosus. Second was another duo of bandits from the same school. All were easily dispatched. The next two rounds were easy, though they should have been harder. A murmillo and an ogre; one per round.

Being arrogant (again) when we first got to Trikata, Acamas asked Usus what he was doing here, and Ludo said, "Oh nothing, just a couple of the finest warriors in Imperia!" Usus told him to be quiet and we went on with our lives…

Day Thirteen – Ludo

By the gods, we're really zipping through this land! The gods must have willed us to win all tournaments without much trouble!

Day Fourteen – Valens

Last night, I had the strangest dream…I saw scenes of death and destruction. Some awful beast was there…it was a skeletal dragon, but it didn't look close to death at all. It looked healthy and vicious, able to bite and snap. It breathed fire, as most dragons do, but it was green. It seemed to radiate fear; no, the very essence of terror. I slept transfixed. I couldn't wake up.

But then the dream shifted.

I saw the night sky first. It was a clear night; not even the moon was out and there were stars all around. When my dream allowed me to see the ground, first I saw the trees outside Cro Beska and the dirt road. Then I saw a younger me. I was walking with my father. We were discussing my entrance to the school; I would be fighting the next day! All of my training and practicing had paid off!

I was so happy; but then I began to feel uneasy. From the side of the road, I watched as several cloaked warriors attacked. My father and I fought valiantly, but to no avail. My father was killed, slashed across the chest with untamed brutality.

Was it a trick of fate that I survived, or was it the will of the Affinity gods?

Day Seventeen – Donata

So yesterday, we beat, no, demolished all competition in Orus. It was almost _too_ easy. Was someone pulling the strings so that we'd advance quicker?

The leagues and the tournaments were supposed to be an extreme challenge. I feel almost disappointed.

I know we're a strong school, but aren't all leagues and especially tournaments supposed to pose a bit of threat?

Oh well, on to Syrna!

Day Seventeen – Laina

I'm one of the three heavy class warriors in Munio's school; it's me and Jehan (the centurions) and Donata the samnite.

Jehan needs to get training! The other warriors are teasing him for being weaker than Donata and me. It was extraordinarily funny today. Jehan challenged me to a duel. It happens often and I always beat him.

We had gone about six rounds, and I had just beaten him again. He refused to let up on me. So I humored him and fought another. I bested him in about a minute. The rest of the school laughed at him. I felt sorry for him until he started insulting me. It got so far as the both of us questioning the other's gender and then Valens broke it up. An hour later, Jehan apologized to me and I forgave him.

Day Seventeen – Katre

When we first arrived in Syrna, League Officer Daphoenissa seemed familiar with Master Usus. Maybe she was his sister…

Anyway, as we arrived, she asked Master Usus what he was doing here. Ludo, being his typical arrogant self, told her, "Oh nothing, just a couple of the finest gladiators in Imperia!" It's not the first time Ludo has said that either. I think he actually thinks that he's better than the rest of us.

Day Seventeen – Usus

Valens is growing, both as a leader and as a warrior. However, he needs to learn more. He can learn more by competing in other lands; also by not consulting as much with Ludo.

In case Valens has forgotten, I shall remind him that they are both inexperienced in leading a school. However, I see that the trust of the warriors is growing, not just among themselves, but in Valens as well. I shall commend him for that.

Day Seventeen – Donata

After, my first battle in Syrna, I almost collapsed from laughter! I fought two male centurions with Laina by my side and after the battle, we learned the name of one of our opponents: Dubnovellaunus! Both of us laughed for a long time!

Day Eighteen – Mailie

They don't use me in battle AT ALL! All I do is sit there; I suspect the other "gladiators" in the school of ridiculing me. I'm leaving. I'm going to join my sisters in the Channelers' Temple!

Day Eighteen – Ludo

Mailie left and I can see why. Oh well. It's better now. She made us all feel gloomy.

We recruited Ventius, Donata's old friend. He's a samnite too.

I'm better to fight without arcane warriors under my command anyway.

It only took us one day to qualify for the Syrna tournament. And for once, I'm not disappointed in our opponents. I'm disappointed in Daphoenissa for pitting us against FOUR SECUTORS! It was ridiculously easy.

Day Nineteen – Usus

Ludo is too confident. Valens doesn't seem confident enough. But just how do I feel? I'm nervous for them, but I also know that if anyone can do it, they can.

Day Nineteen – Laina

These two battles of the Imperial championship were some of the easiest and that is saying something.

We may be the top school in Imperia, but what about the other regions?

I'm going to suggest to Master Usus that we intensify our training regimen.

On to Nordagh!

NOTE: Read and review please I hope you enjoyed it.


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